1. Change Your Diet
Changing your diet is the most significant thing you can do to lower your cholesterol. Fatty foods, especially those high in saturated or animal fats, significantly raise LDL cholesterol. As a first step, try reducing or eliminating the intake of red meat, full-fat diary products and egg yolks. Then, focus on introducing more fruits and vegetables to your daily meal plan. This will provide an added amount of fiber to your diet, which in turn will help your body flush out fat from your organs.
2. Start an Exercise Program
Even walking 15 minutes a day can have a big impact on your high cholesterol, especially if you usually sedentary. If you are severely overweight or have other medical conditions, you might consider hiring a personal trainer to guide you through the exercise program, or you may want to join a medical program that offers supervised training. If your doctor clears your proposed physical activity, however, find something you enjoy, and then do it often. Biking, swimming, walking or yoga are all great low-impact activities that can produce significant results.
3. Work on Raising Your HDL (Good) Cholesterol
HDL cholesterol actually helps flush the bad cholesterol from your arteries, so increasing your levels of it makes sense. Ideally, you should aim for a level of more than 60 mg/dL. To achieve that, try giving up alcohol and caffeine, both of which can lead to heart problems and increase LDL levels. Giving up smoking will also affect your HDL levels favorably, as it may help you lose weight and reduce your body fat percentage.
4. Consider Natural Remedies
Cranberry juice, niacin (vitamin B3) and garlic have all been shown to reduce cholesterol levels significantly if consumed along with a low-fat diet. Studies have also shown that eating oat brand, especially the slow-cooking kind, can significantly lower cholesterol because of its high fiber content. Certain herbs, including chicory root and fenugreek seeds also have an effect on LDL cholesterol.
